Host East Brunswick wins Bear Invitational

Click HERE for a Bear Invitational photo gallery, HERE for links to video interviews and HERE for complete results from the tournament

By Greg Tufaro@MyCJ_Sports

EAST BRUNSWICK — After allowing other teams to win its holiday tournament for a decade, the East Brunswick High School wrestling program finally stopped being a gracious host, claiming Thursday’s Bear Invitational championship for itself.

“We come into the tournament knowing it’s going to be tough,” East Brunswick coach Matt Pazinko said of the 16-team event, which is the state’s second largest holiday invitational.

“We don’t want to come into a tournament that we are just going to walk over everybody. We want to come in and get good competition because that’s what’s going to make us better. So we are not disappointed when we (don’t win) our own tournament, because we need the competition. That makes winning the tournament that much sweeter.”

Sean Glasgow (138) and Jonathan Schleifer (160) won individual titles for the Bears (84.5 points), who finished ahead of runners-up Lacey and Hopewell Valley (72 points apiece) in the team scoring.

About Greg Tufaro

Greg Tufaro is in his 20th year as a sports writer at the Home News Tribune, where he has covered recreational, collegiate, scholastic and professional sports. He is a graduate of Rutgers University. Greg lives in Central Jersey with his wife Cyndi and their 5-year-old daughter Marisa.